Millions of men at risk of developing brittle bones due to this

By Tom Campbell via SWNS

Millions of men are at risk of developing brittle bones because they are too fat, warns a new study.

Piling on the pounds weakens the bones and exposes people to osteoporosis - contrary to what many doctors think, according to the research.

Until now, health care providers have often assumed heavier people are less likely to suffer from fractures because they have higher bone density.

Accordingly, these people are rarely screened for bone conditions like osteoporosis, which affects around three million people in the UK.

But now, scientists in the United States have cast doubt over this theory, suggesting too much fat could actually make a person's bones brittle.

Study author Dr. Rajesh Jain, of the University of Chicago Medicine, said: "We found that higher fat mass was related to lower bone density, and these trends were stronger in men than women.

"Our research suggests that the effect of body weight depends on a person's makeup of lean and fat mass, and that high body weight alone is not a guarantee against osteoporosis.”

Osteoporosis is also known as the "silent disease," because people rarely realize they are suffering from it, until their bones start breaking.

Every year, more than half a million people receive hospital treatment for brittle bone fractures in the UK.

Data on the bone density and body composition of 10,814 people under 60-years-old collected between 2011 and 2018 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, was analyzed by the researchers.

Bone density was greater among male and female patients with high lean mass, meaning their weight, including organs, skin and bones, but excluding fat.

In contrast, having more fat "moderately" reduced bone density, especially among men, the researchers found.

Around 67 percent of men and 60 percent of women in the UK are considered to be obese or overweight, one of the highest proportions in western Europe.

Millions of people in the UK could therefore be at risk of developing rickety bones, but are unlikely to get screened.

A person's bone strength can easily be measured with a bone density scan, a short, painless procedure which takes just 10 to 20 minutes.

Dr. Jain said: "Health care providers should consider osteoporosis screening for patients with high body weight, especially if they have other risk factors like older age, previous fracture, family history, or steroid use."

The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.